NEWS FROM ZORNLAND-The NY Times ran an article on the ethnic inspiration for John Zorn, Marc Ribot and Arto Lindsay on October 2nd, which created quite a bit of controversy. The piece was long-winded and a sad oversimplification of what inspires each of our local heroes. Much of the article centered on Zorn's radical Jewish culture network and ended by calling him the "king of kitsch"! What bullshit! Zorn spent an entire year searching & studying Jewish music, philosophy & mysticism, before he put together Masada and composed the first hundred Masada pieces. Although this article pissed off everyone who I spoke with, Zorn himself told me that he was deeply moved by the response he received from friends, fellow musicians and fans worldwide in support of his music, labels & constant search. When Ribot-Zorn-Tacuma-Weston played at the Knit last week, Ribot dedicated the set to the Times and said here they are searching for their roots and even quoted "Hava Nagila" during an inspired noise jam! The great news is the much anticipated new Zorn 'Music for Romance' volume two compilation with three tracks from Zorn-Frith-Laswell-Lombardo is here on October 15th and the next Masada live cd is due in mid-November!

1.JOHN ZORN-Taboo and Exile (Tzadik 7325) Like manna from heaven, once more our main man - John Zorn - delivers the goods in this astounding compilation of diverse projects all recorded earlier this year. The ever-wonderful Masada String Trio (MST) get two tracks as do the percussion duo of Joey Baron & Cyro Baptista. It is the much anticipated quartet of Zorn-Frith-Laswell-Lombardo that wail on one brutal track, but Zorn is replaced on two other tracks by Marc Ribot for some intense two guitar onslaught. Ribot also appears in another two guitar unit with Robert Quine, Mike Patton, Chris Wood & Sim Cain, as well as a Bar Kohkba-like quartet with Jamie Saft on organ, Greg Cohen & Roberto Rodriguez on drums. Jamie Saft is also a part of the Masada String Trio plus Cyro Baptista on two delightfully somber tracks, one of which opens this sublime to extreme journey into Zornland! The opening theme is "In the Temple of Hadjarim" and has a most mysterious glowing groove & eerie drone. "Zeraim" is the other piece by this ensemble and it is one of those delightful ancient-sounding themes that the Masada String Trio plus touch us all with their charming string-fluttering finesse, the same can be said of the grand melody of "Makot". MST's "Mayim" is fueled by Greg Cohen pumping bass while both Feldman & Friedlander's violin and cello push each other to new heights of frenzy! "Tiki for Blue" by Ribot-Saft-Cohen-Rodriguez is also a superb treat that sounds like it came from the 'Circle Maker' sessions, complete with that groovy tremelo guitar shimmer that makes that cd so special to everyone. Robert Quine & Ribot's guitars fry on "Bull's Eye" - a short Naked City-like post-surf, post-punk blast with ultra distorto vocals by Mike Patton. The two duo percussion pieces by Joey & Cyro are minimal & a refreshing break from the onslaught of Zorn-Frith-Laswell-Lombardo blasting escapades. Their one quartet piece "The Possessed" is just that and all we extremists could have hoped for - the massive rhythm team of Laswell's monster el. bass, Lombardo's thunderous drums push Zorn's screaming sax & Frith's ominous, noise shredding guitar into a hurricane of tight explosions. Equally brutal & mind-blowing are the two tracks by Frith-Ribot-Laswell-Lombardo, which feature fine tortured string-bending insanity by both Ribot & Frith with that same colossal rhythm team. Although 'Taboo and Exile' runs the extremes of Zorn's projects, it all fits together as one long suite which is demanding from beginning to end. The outside cardboard cover & inside color photos are another treasure for our eyes to behold.$14. 

2.OTOMO YOSHIHIDE-Cathode (Tzadik 7051) Now that Ground Zero are gone, Otomo continues to expand his sound manipulation palette and vision in even more focused ways. 'Cathode' captures Otomo's serious exploration of often Japanese traditional acoustic instruments mixed with synth, samplers, electronics and tape manipulation. There are only four long pieces to be found here, each quite rich in sonic textures, each exploring different terrain. "Modulation #2" consists of delicate acoustic guitar and sho - a mouth organ with an accordion type of sound mixed with soft lush high pitched electronic drones. "Modulation #1", which closes this release, blends the continuous drone of the sho with the slowly evolving hum of a sine wave generator - those restrained high pitches can be quite unnerving, so dog owners might want to keep their canines away. Although "Cathode #1" is for a large mostly acoustic ensemble of piano, shamisen, violin, cello, contrabass & voice, with some samples, electronics & tape, it recalls Pierre Henry's tape manipulation of doors creaking, often played backwards one sound at a time. Fascinating if one has the patience. While "Cathode #2" features many of the same instruments, they have all been sampled and reconstructed and are no longer recognizable in their original form. This piece works best in creating a new world of sounds, rich in diverse timbres, which Otomo tells us can be listened to in a variety of ways, it is up to us to find the music within. Are you ready for this level of extreme subtly?! $14.

3.FRICTION-Zone Tripper (Tzadik 7224) Friction are perhaps the longest running Japanese (post-punk) band, founded by el. bassist & vocalist Reck in 1978, after Reck played with no wave originators Teenage Jesus & the Contortions. Reck was/is also a member of Hoppy Kamiyama's improv unit - Optical 8 in recent years. I am unsure how many releases Friction has made through their long career, but I do recall an out-of-print one on Enemy, as well as a Japanese release with John Zorn & Thurston Moore as guests. Friction are a sort of power trio with Imai Akinobu on guitar & Sato Minoru on drums, besides Reck's bass, vox & guitar also. Friction rock hard, pounding out turgid riffs that remind me of Iggy Pop's snarling voice and memorable hard rockin' tunes. Thick, pounding, slamming, bass throbbing riffs that get the kids jumping! There are also a few remixes by On U dubsters Audio Active, who strip it down to more skeletal drum machine centered pieces. But it is the rest of them powerful dark hot rocking tunes that really provide the much needed fun and abandon of this grand post-punk rock hell! $14.

4.URI CAINE ENSEMBLE-Live in Concert Gustav Mahler Festival (W&W 046) Uri's first Mahler tribute 'Primal Light' - a studio effort on the prominent Winter & Winter label, sold a ridiculous number of copies in Europe and in the US - a smashing success! Uri took this ensemble on the road with slightly different personnel, expanded on his versions on Mahler's music even further and the result is this wonderful double live cd from a Mahler festival in Italy from last year. The personnel here consists of Aaron Bensoussan on vocals & oud, Ralph Alessi on trumpet, Dave Binney on alto sax, Mark Feldman on violin, DJ Olive on turntables, Michael Formanek on contrabass, Jim Black on drums & Uri's keyboards. Excerpts from symphonies 1, 2 & 5, plus versions of "Songs of the Death of Children" and "Songs of the Earth" have been utilized for this fine release. As is the case on all W&W cds, both the packaging and production are near perfect. Uri has put together an excellent ensemble to play this music in both reverent and luscious ways. Outstanding solos by Mark Feldman, Ralph Alessi & Dave Binney make these pieces extra special, as the ever inventive rhythm section also keeps the flow uplifting and inspired. DJ Olive also adds just the right amount of sonic seasoning to bring this music into the modern world. A complete delight! A two cd set for $24.

5.GERRY HEMINGWAY QUINTET-Waltzes, Two-Steps & Other Matters of the Heart (GM 3043) After a few years of few new releases from all-round excellent drummer & composer Gerry Hemingway, it looks as if a welcome flurry of recorded releases has come out over the past year or so. We've seen/heard superb cds from Gerry's current quartet, a long-lost session from BassDrumBone and a duo cd with vocalist Andrea Goodman in the past year. Next month will be Gerry's first Tzadik cd of his chamber works. 'Waltzes...' is the final release from Gerry's great previous quintet which lasted from '90 to '98, who tour yearly and this was recorded live in Berlin & Stockholm in November of 1996. This spectacular quintet consisted of European greats Michael Moore on reeds, Wolter Wierbos on trombone, Ernst Reijseger on cello plus contrabass great Mark Dresser and Gerry's dynamic percussion and compositions. This cd begins with the elegant "Waltz in Seven" - a delicate piece with enchanting results. "Full Off" is a nifty start & stop, ultra tight shuffle where the bass & drums lock in the groove and the horns explode together in sub-groups. Gerry opens "Gitar" with a calming harmonica drone while the slow moving arco strings and horns combine with lovely harmonies, before a subtle groove takes over. "Gospel Waltz" also swings nicely in its own playful way, with lovely solos from the clarinet, cello & trombone. "XI" is a haunting re-orchestration of an ancient madrigal, where the harmonies get slightly more disturbing as the short piece unfolds. "Toombow" can also be found on Gerry's current quartet cd and is also quite haunting, fueled by hands & mallads on drums while the cello is also used as percussion building slowly in excitement and Michael Moore plays a great alto solo to conclude. This wondrous endeavor ends with a spirited version of a Bavarian waltz called "Ari", which is quite fun, somewhat lopsided or tipsy, but just the right way to bring this release to a perfect close. $14.

6.ELLERY ESKELIN/ANDREA PARKINS/JIM BLACK-Five Other Pieces [+2] (Hatology 533) This is the fourth great release by this distinctive downtown trio, but it is the first one where they do mostly an odd assortment of covers - Mahavishnu Orchestra, John Coltrane, Lennie Tristano, Charlie Haden & George Gershwin, plus two of Ellery's originals. Mahavishnu's "The Dance of the Maya" is from their very first album of 1971, the early days of fusion when it was still fresh & exciting. Remember that this music was often played at lightning speed, was super tight & at testosterone pumping intensity. Ellery's trio capture the darker spirits at the center of this music, without some of the teeth-gritting intensity. Nice to hear that spooky melody played by layers of accordion, the head played by tenor sax rather than screaming guitar. Lennie Tristano was a unique character in jazz history - a great pianist & composer who taught in his own little world, influential but not that well known. This trio covers his piece "April" and perform it with a dizzying, swirling sort of a complexity - solos flow back into the trio and then solo again, with a Monk-like fractured line at the center. Coltrane's "India" is really given a radical treatment with both the accordion and the drums providing cosmic drones, quite moody - that enduring head doesn't even appear until half way through and it is even funked up nicely. Charlie Haden's "Song for Che" was once covered by Robert Wyatt and is a beautiful tune and here gets a nice warm & lush rendition. Gershwin's quaint "Prelude II" gets pushed a bit further out with sections of freer metal percussion & wheezing accordion & Ellery's passionate tenor at the top. The final two original compositions by Ellery are long and winding and pretty amazing excursions through both improvised & written sections, a rather seamless flow of events. Both pieces show the magic that makes this trio so special & engaging! An excellent endeavor overall. $17. 

7.ELLIOTT SHARP: TECTONICS-Errata (KFW 255) This is E. Sharp's third Tectonics cd. Tectonics is an ongoing solo project which combines his warped drum n' bass & beyond rhythmic foundations with his infinite/alien layers of guitar thangs & saxes. For me, most drum n' bass stuff is limited, monotonous and boring. Elliott knows better, constantly reinventing the boundaries and coming up with fresh environments. Each section of 'Errata' has a solid but fractured rhythmic scheme - post everything from the second half of this sad century, as well as Elliott's distinctive and often alien string manipulation & sax squealing & squawking. There is never an uninspired moment, just points when it gets to be too much to take in. There are a number of notable pieces where it all comes together - the shit hits the fan and we smile in awe of the riches. On "City of Sand", we find Beefheartian guitar fragments mixed with Hendrix's "Up from the Skies" like soothing psych guitar sound sailing on top of warped but funky rhythm samples. Some of the slower pieces seem to work best, ideas/sounds get a chance to breathe and create deep & dark suspenseful moments. A couple of these pieces have a particularly slamming almost jazz drum thing - kinda Bobby Previte-like, could this be a sample & not the real thing?!? On the final selection - "Errataka" all hell breaks loose and a cosmic eruption takes place, sounds like everything is being squished through static-inducing strainer! Oh no, the ghost of Smersh has arisen! Take a couple of aspirin & dig in! $13.

8.ARTO LINDSAY-Prize (Righteous Babe 016) After three delightful Brazilian avant-pop cds for the Bar None label in the last three years, downtown daredevil Arto Lindsay returns with another cool exotic concoction on Ani Defranco's (hero to feisty lesbians everywhere) Righteous Babe label! An odd coincidence? Perhaps not. Arto remains an enigma, a strange mix of downtown noise - he was once in the brutal/painful/amazing DNA as the king of skronk geetar and then there was Ambitious Lovers who first combined Arto's Brazilian pop side with funk, avant & noise... The first Golden Palominos had Arto & Zorn in the frontline with two basses (Laswell & Tacuma) and two drummers (David Moss & Anton Fier). In the last decade, Arto has become an in-demand pop producer for various Brazilian singers, and has gone the solo route himself to great success. His great but occasionally overlooked (power) trio cd on KFW with Melvin Gibbs & Dougie Bowne brought back some of the noise blasting side of DNA with a much more focused rhythm team. On each one of his fine releases for Bar None - he has refined his charming voice, spiky poetry in Portuguese & English, odd but well selected samples, rare use of noise guitar punctuation and sparkling/somber production. Which brings us back to Arto's new "Prize." 

The recognizable names on 'Prize' include el. bassist Melvin Gibbs, beats from Dougie Bowne, violinist Eyvind Kang, percussionist Cyro Baptista and acoustic guitarist Vinicius Cantuaria (whose cd was produced by Arto). Arto continues to create his magic by building his songs from fragments - he layers his somber noise samples with churning rhythm and his luscious, sensuous voice. He often writes minimal, enigmatic lyrics - that give clues, but never the entire picture, so one must ponder a bit to unravel these puzzles. The point is that things are rarely what they seem to be. Arto sings in Portuguese on about half of these tunes and his voice even sounds more endearing. There is even a bit of drum n' bass thrown in for a different flavor. This is the fourth elegant pop gem to come from Arto Lindsay in a row. $14.

9.SLOW POKE-at home (Spat 01) Slow Poke are a sort of Lounge Lizards offshoot unit who have been playing midnight sets at Tonic for about a year, since slide guitar great Dave Tronzo returned from his sojourn to Amsterdam. Their membership consists of tenor & soprano saxist Michael Blake, bassist Tony Scherr and ubiquitous drummer Kenny Wollesen. They recorded a cd for Intuition last year, but the label has no clue when or if it will be released. So they recorded this fine but relatively short cd on their own and put it out theirselves. Tronzo is a brilliant & distinctive electric slide guitarist whose sound and approach mix jazz, (swamp) rock and avant sources into a unique blend. Although he has been in NYC for almost a decade, he records infrequently, so each release is one to savor. Each member of this fine quartet keep pretty busy in a slew of other projects, I recall a great cd from Michael Blake on Intuition last year. This release captures their diverse sound & spirit nicely with covers from Eddie Harris, Duke Ellington and Neil Young!?! Eddie Harris' "Listen Here" has that late night, slow, funk groove - perfect for close dancing or finger-snapping grooviness. Bassist Tony Scherr also plays nifty rhythm guitar, outlining the groove for Tronzo to add his slinky slide on top. The ever-inventive Kenny Wollesen also consistently adds his diverse rhythmic spice throughout. Neil Young's "Harvest" also gets a slow bluesy treatment with some fine blustery tenor sax from Mr. Blake. Duke Ellington's "Rockin' in Rhythm" might seem like an odd choice, but Slow Poke certainly make it their own by adding a funky groove behind Duke's savory melody and Dave's wah-wah might just be inspired by them plunger mutes from Duke's horn players. The closing tune is Michael Blake's "Dry Socket" and this also has that late night, sluggish groove, a nice way to end things. These cats are more exciting live, so here's hoping they really let it rip on their next welcome release. In the meantime, this cd has little distribution, but you can get it from us for $14.

10.JUNK GENIUS-Ghost of Electricity (Songlines 1525) Junk Genius is basically the New Klezmer Trio plus John Schott on guitars (both record for Tzadik). This is their second release & they are co-led by the excellent Bay area clarinetist Ben Goldberg, with bassist Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle & Secret Chiefs) and the above mentioned wonder-drummer Kenny Wollesen! Their last cd was a few years back on KFW & it was rather klezmerized versions of bebop tunes. This release is much different and even better. All the pieces are originals this time and were written by Ben and/or John. Although the first piece "Gone Away" is quite somber & haunting, this vibe doesn't last long. On "Hollersdale"- the pace is frenzied and the excitement builds to powerful conclusion. Each piece seems to be a different challenge on a variety of levels for each of these maturing players & composers. "Angle" sustains an eerie tension throughout, while the clarinet & guitar erupt together in waves. John Schott plays national steel guitar on "Aberdeen" and the quartet does a fine job on maintaining somber suspense by evoking ghost-like entities. What makes Junk Genius so special is the way in which both Ben's clarinet & John's guitars always anticipate and compliment each other's sound. The rhythm team also sounds as if they have been playing together for many moons and although Kenny has been living here for quite some time, Trevor will also be moving here sometime soon. It seems to me that each of Ben Goldberg's half dozen cds have been superb - here is yet another wonderful addition to his growing collection of clarinet treasures. I just wish he would come to NYC more often. $14.

11.JOE GALLANT & ILLUMINATI-Terrapin (Which? Records 5656) Bassist supreme & orchestra leader- Joe Gallant has been running Illuminati for more than a decade. After releasing two fine but often overlooked cds by his provocative downtown orchestra, Joe switched focus and began covering tunes by the now defunkt Grateful Dead. This was a mixed blessing for Illuminati, as they began to get many new fans who were once Deadheads and lost a number of old Illuminati fans who have little interest in anything that is not avant garde. The Knit released Illuminati's first Dead tribute cd a few years back and the band started to tour extensively and continue to play regularly at that down home hippie hangout - the Wetlands. I have always dug much of what the Dead had to offer - their long jams, space improvs & double drum duos could often be magical. Illuminati always did a fine job of capturing that spirit and making it their own and also including some of their thornier original material into their Dead sets to challenge those who attend their gigs. 

'Terrapin Station' was one of the Dead's grand moments, the title track a progressive opus complete with an orchestra and an entire lp side length and it was never done live in it's entirety - until now! This is no small feat for Joe Gallant to pull off and here he has done a most admirable job. Although Illuminati usually perform with about 20 musicians, Joe utilized the talents of some 71 performers to do this magnificent work. Guest vocalists include Ike Willis, Maggie Roche, Ellen Christy, basketball player Bill Walton, Pheobe Legere, Pat Boone (!?) and (local Janis Joplin-like singer) Lex Grey. Guest musicians include Jorma Kaukonen, Buddy Cage, Tony Trischka, Bob Bralove & Andrea Parkins. What I like the most about this cd is how Joe has taken these tunes and rearranged them in a variety of new ways, adding new spices to an already tasty stew. "Passenger" includes Bill Walton's suspenseful spoken words with Ellen Christy's swinging big band jazz vocal mastery and an odd mix of almost drum n' bass and jazz grooves together. "Dancin' in the Streets" is one of the numerous soul tunes that the Dead covered and one of the low points on the original 'Terrapin' lp, but here is much better due to the great raspy vocals of local legend Lex Grey and the pumping groove! Equally uplifting is the smoking rendition of Robert Johnson's "Samson & Delilah"! Ike Willis' smoky voice on "Estimated Prophet" also add extra oomph, but it is the swirling horns & strings and Joe's phenomenal el. bass that bring this piece over the top! Both "Sunrise" and "China Doll" (from 'Mars Hotel') get luscious & enchanting versions due to the fine vocals of Lisa Shaw & Maggie Roche, respectively. The "Terrapin Station Suite" gets an amazing, fully orchestral treatment, while Joe intersperses some dark & spooky sections throughout called "Region I-IV". Bravo! A monumental achievement for only $10.

12.BRUCE EISENBEIL'S CROSSCURRENT TRIO-Mural (CIMP 194) Bruce is a fellow Jersey buddy of mine, a good soul and interesting avant/jazz el. guitarist. He has played our store a couple of times and I see him at gigs often. This is his second release for that ever-probing jazz/improv label CIMP and it seems that CIMP will release their 100th cd quite soon, certainly a good thing for many of us listeners & players alike. Bruce's first CIMP cd had a trio of veterans - Rob Brown & Lou Grassi, but 'Mural' features Bruce's new trio of younguns J (ason) Brunka on bass & Ryan Sawyer on drums, both in their 20's. I've seen Ryan play a couple of times, but I'm unfamiliar with J. Brunka. This is a great trio, well rounded, always listening, combining forces as one entity, ever buzzing, free yet focused. Bruce is forever spinning webs of notes/chords, his tone is thin, almost acoustic sounding, never any of that sustained rock or fusion toned excessiveness. Both Jason's thicker toned contrabass and Ryan's deft and swirling percussion are perfect foils for Bruce's quick webs of notes. This music is often about tension & release, shifting textures that move through more or less dense sections. This music is not really about solos either, it seems to be more about the group spirit & interaction, the music of the trio in action. The flow of ideas & energy is constant, calming melodies appear, nothing seems too abrupt, everything fits just right & is quite cerebral. $14. 

13.THE OTHER QUARTET-13 Pieces (KFW 262) This is an impressive local new music quartet, in which three of the four musicians are ones I am unfamiliar with, they too are the main composers for this often understated unit. The Other Quartet is Ohad Talmor on tenor & soprano saxes, Russ Johnson on trumpet, Jim Hershman on guitar & Michael Sarin (for Thomas Chapin, Myra Melford, Dave Douglas...) on drums. Although the quartet has composed most of this release, they do challenge themselves by covering three modern classical works by Anton Bruckner, Igor Stravinsky & Elliott Carter, no small feat! It is interesting how more & more groups have chosen to not use bassists and how some of these units have a similar sound. The Other Quartet reminds me of the Tiny Bell Trio at times where the guitarist & drummer often lock in together like a regular rhythm section, while the horn player(s) do the heads & the solos. Much of what this Quartet do is quite minimal - "On the Inside" is soft and rather bluesy with sad & lovely solos from the trumpet & soprano sax. Some of these pieces have that fractured rhythm that Tiny Bell also specialize in, keeping their sound pretty modern and occasionally jazz-like. Even the few freer sounding pieces are sharply controlled. Obviously these fellows must come from a modern classical background, who else would attempt an Elliott Carter piece? Bruckner's "Symphony No. 4, 1st Movement" and Stravinsky's "Piece for String Qt. No. 3" both get refined & touching treatments, a smart choice of repertoire. On "Beyond Urizen" this quartet show the other side and burn through a quick paced piece where all four players rush together in unison and then finally slow down to almost a stop and then explode once again! This fine release is a nice change of pace from the more frenetic side of downtown music. Time to see/hear the Other Quartet live around here, in the meantime check out this cd for $13. 

14.DON BYRON-Romance with the Unseen (Blue Note 99545) w/ Bill Frisell, Drew Gress & Jack DeJohnette. Don Byron is a brilliant clarinetist & bandleader, who changes direction with each release. He is often at odds with jazz-snob critics who question his never-ending genre-hopping excursions - his blaxsploitation/hip-hop cd from last year especially ruffled some feathers. I often dig Don's originals over his choice of covers, which here include a rather too mellow version of the Beatles' "I'll Follow the Sun" - certainly CD101 material. Much better choices are the two Duke Ellington associated tunes - the first is the opening tune, a Duke rarity called "A Mural from Two Perspectives", which the quartet performs with a playful charm, "Perdido" seems to have been altered a bit, the finger-snapping theme even more slippery. Herbie Hancock's "One Finger Snap" (from the mid-sixties) is given a freer, more experimental treatment in which Frisell's guitar gets to create some subtle but eerie underlying textures. Don's originals also run the gamut stylisitically, from the quaint almost Monk-like theme of "Sad Twilight" to rambunctious, burning head & excursion of "Bernard Goetz, James Ramseur & Me". "Homegoing" is the longest and most stimulating piece here, the rhythm section in especially fine form, pushing Don's & Bill's solos into waves of exciting & tender moments. "Basquiat" has that suspense filled aura of hushed yet rich lyrical beauty - a perfect solo from Don. "Closer to Home" closes this release with some darker explorations, Bill's guitar hovers in clouds/drones, while the rhythm team builds, Don sounds almost ominous on top. I just wish it on longer. Oh well, a little more angst & adventurousness would certainly pay off. $14.

15.SAM BARDFELD'S CABAL FATALE-Taxidermy (CIMP 195) w/ Ken Wessel on guitar, Drew Gress on bass & Mike Sarin on drums. Sam Bardfeld is a new name for me that I've noticed for the past few years at the Knit. At 32, he is still pretty young and has only been playing professionally for the past 6 years, but does seem to get around and play a wide variety of genres - Latin, Cajun, Zydeco, fusion, free & mainstream jazz situations. Guitarist Ken Wessel - I recall from Ornette's latest edition of Prime Time & a trio with Badal Roy. Rhythm team Drew Gress & Mike Sarin are of course downtown all-stars who play in many different situations, but do also play together in Dave Douglas' String Group. This quartet has been together for four years, this is their first release. Sam wrote all the pieces here except for two standards. Sam's diverse background makes for a variety of challenging playing situations for this quartet, each piece seems to uncover a different source of inspiration. Sam's tone on violin seems to come out of a more melodic, older type of sound, which fits well with Ken's smooth jazz guitar sound & lines. Sam's "Taxidermy" has a cool slippery rhythmic structure that mixes elements of funk & fusion without overdoing it. On "Curve" the rhythm team really pushes hard to the brink of an explosion - stop and then restart quietly & slowly build back up again. The jazz standard "Have You Met Miss Jones" gets a nice, jubilant, finger-snapping rendition, while George Jones' "Walk Through This World with Me" gets a sad, lyrical country ballad type of version. "Knee High in Poke & Sumac" is a sort of a zydeco thing with a smiling groove, a nice change of pace for these often outcats. "You've Made Your Bed" is the most challenging piece here and has numerous difficult sections to be explored. A good first effort. $14.

16.BUCKETHEAD-Monsters & Robots (Cyberoctave 47499) Guitar demon & cartoon character - Buckethead is currently on tour with & opening for Primus. Backing him on this cd are Les Claypool on bass & Brain on drums (both of Primus) plus DJ Disk & DJ Eddie Def. Bill Laswell produces one track and Bootsy guests on vocals. Buckethead's cd on this same label from last year 'Colma' was unexpectedly mellow and a disappointment to many of his fans. This here gem is filled with his guitar shredding insanity, to keep us all in awe of his demented prowess! The Bucketman completely shreds lightning-speed lines, whipping up storms of metallic-funk lead guitar a la Funkadelic(!) - ultra-tight, hyper-tense, hypnotic speed riffing & slamming drums. The hip-hop mega-riff (w/ Les Claypool on bass & vox) classic "Ballad of Buckethead" is also a comic book and a 30 minute video and tells the sad tale of the bastard son of a preacher who lives in a chicken house. Misunderstood & lonely and who finally triumphs over adversity by playing amazing guitar! Hooray for our superhero and who has been in our shop during the Primas tour claiming to want to move to NY sometime soon & play at Tonic for a week with different improv chums each night. We can only hope! Sometimes Buckethead has a tendency to go overboard, but not here too much, I think those Primus dudes are a good influence. There is one short moment of resolve on the lovely acoustic guitar pearl called "Who Me?" punctuated with sobbing - that sounds like it came from the 'Colma' sessions. This just might be Buckethead's best offering yet -it sells for only $9. 

17.PANICSMILE-We Cannot Tell You Truth, Again (god mountain 034) Yes, I know how hard it is for many of us RUINS fans to keep up with all those off-shoot projects that RUINS leader-drummer-vocalist-Japanese Magma fan club president - Totsuya Yoshida is involved in. With each tour (they played at Tonic twice in the past month), the stacks of new offerings (Akaten, Korekyojin) continues to build. And now my pal Hoppy Kamiyama hands me another blistering RUINS off-shoot called Panicsmile on the newly reawakened god mountain label (yay!). Unfortunately, since most of the liner notes are in Japanese, I can't tell who plays bass or guitar in this wicked power trio, but you-know-who is of course on drums! And once more, Totsuya & co. kick powerful butt. The Panicsmile cd is a complete blast of throttling post-punk, ultra tight, often super-fast - noise jamming brutality & ever-inventive avant-rock insanity. Although there are 16 short tracks in under 30 minutes, it is amazing in its entirety. At times, it seems as if Totsuya records these discs in his sleep, but I got to admit - his batting average is pretty high. I think back to the mid-80's when I was heavily into hardcore/thrash/punk bands like the Minutemen, Black Flag, Dead Kennedys...and even went on to shave my head - a rather silly thing to do in my mid 30's. So I was ripe for Naked City when they arrived. Now, a decade later, I listen to very little hardcore/thrash/punk stuff, so it does feel good on occasion to hear the noise blasting punk coolness. Panicsmile mix this ear-blasting intensity with almost prog-like inventive structures - sometimes on the verge of flying apart. Yo! Panicsmile rule ! $16.

18.THE SABOTEN-s/t (god mountain 033) The Saboten are an all an odd trio of Hoppy Kamiyama, Hiroaki Sugawara & DJ-Force. As far as I can tell, they play mostly samplers, turntables & drum machines. The guests include Michiyo Yagi (Tzadik cd) on kotos plus members of Demi-Semi Quaver, Friction, Optical-8 & Altered States. But mostly, I can just hear well selected layers of samples, never too thick. "Orgasm" is a bit too long & monotonous, but I think there is a reason for that. The rest of this slowly unfolds in webs of intricate sounds, the occasional (drum n'bass...) beats are also very well selected, providing minimal framework for rich electronic soundscapes. The first half of this cd has a vibe is one of warm, soft, somber glow, peaceful at center. Things get a bit weirder at times. Do I hear a Silver Apples sample in there(?), I believe I do. On "Zoe Achilles" the samples finally build to a thicker, stranger brew. "Rituel" is the only sort of (punkish) tune with obnoxious vocals on this alien soundtrack peppered with koto pluckings. The drummer from Hoppy's improv/rock unit - Optical-8 gets to fire up a the proceedings on "Night Rugby" quite nicely. Most of this cd is an engaging collection of sounds, oddly interesting throughout. All yours for $16.

19.HOPPY KAMIYAMA & BRADFORD REED-The Bubbleman (Horen 009) Hoppy tells me that this cd is a concept piece for children, loosely based on 'Peter & the Wolf'. According to the liner notes, the world is a crazy place, that needs to be saved, so the Bubblemen (who suffer from insomnia) come to the earth to save our children, by making their dreams come true with magic drops that they administer to the kids and play their magic music that only the kids can hear. The children become possessed by the music and fly away with the Bubblemen in their giant-pizza like space-ships. Their journey is long and filled with great mysteries & monsters, but they finally arrive - back at home safely. Cute story, huh!?! In the reality of this cd - Hoppy & Bradford create their weird alien world which is mostly inhabited by Bradford's homemade instrument called the pencilina and Hoppy's keyboard/samples with the innocent narration of Jane LeCroy. Although somewhat weird, the music/sounds often show a child-like fascination with other welcoming worlds. I am reminded of the Residents' alien soundtracks at points. My feeling is that this might be a bit too weird for most children, but just the right amount of sonic seasoning & story-telling to keep the children in each of us entertained & even transported to the hopeful Bubblemen planet. Japanese import cd for $16.

20.VOLARE-Memoirs (Pleasant Green 003) You might recall a fine Canterbury-sounding band from Georgia - that had an unexpectedly great cd out last year called 'The Uncertainty Principle' on Laser's Edge. No!?! For shame, it's never too late to check out that one, but Volare have since broken up and left us with another fine work, mostly recorded before their first release, with tracks recorded in '97 and the from their reunion gig in June of this year. In a fairer world, categories wouldn't need to exist (just like marketing research teams) and I wouldn't need to have to call this music an intelligent fusion of jazz, rock & classical styles. It would seem to be a bit odd to find a band that sounds so much like a Hatfield-National Health hybrid in recent years from the deep south, but this is becoming the case of finding discreet prog treasures all over the map - the South has quite a few now. Yes and the instrumentation is the same as well as our fave Canterbury heroes - el. guitars, various keyboards (el. piano & synths), el. bass & drums, with cello & sax added to spice it up a bit. It does sound a bit dated, but the playing & writing is inspired throughout, adventurous progressive twists & turns are abundant. Both keyboard wiz Patrick Strawser and ace el. & acoustic guitarist Steve Hatch continually explore their various instruments, composing long intricate pieces that work their through many episodes. This is constantly well played and would probably appeal to those who can still enjoy current 'fusion' music. Nice work, lads, sad to hear of your demise, would have liked to have seen you all live, perhaps another reunion in the future. $14.

21.OZONE QUARTET-Nocturne (Flat Five 2002) What we have here is yet another fine prog-fusion unit from down south (North Carolina) and this is also their second cd. Ozone Quartet feature Hollis Brown on el. violin, Kenny Thompson on guitars, Wayne Leechford on stick and Francis Dyer on percussion and remind me of another great, fusion quartet from the south called Boud Deun. These pieces are also tight, well-written works in which both the violin & guitar, as well as the rhythm section constantly play together locked in place. The Ozone Quartet & Boud Deun both take off from where the Mahavishnu Orchestra left off some 25 years ago, without the excess baggage (of funk, speed & commercial influences) that fusion became soon there-after. So good to hear tabla and stick on this fine work, two instruments I love and can never hear enough of. Even electric violin is becoming a lost art - it certainly has its own sound, and fits so well with the equally inventive el. & acoustic guitars. By "Diamond Eye" which is about half-way, the Ozone Quartet wander through Mahavishnu-land, with some whip-lash speed sections, just for a short jolt of recognition. An adventurous bunch, who stay on their toes thoughout. $14. 

Happy Halloween ,
Love peace and happiness,

From Bruce Lee Gallanter. 

Loren Mazzacane Connors. - Unaccompanied Acoustic Guitar Improvisations Vol. 1 to 9(4 CD Box Ecstatic Yod 101CD) 
So this month has seen Loren Mazzacane's 50th birthday celebration at tonic - which ends this evening - what could be more fitting for Halloween eve than a performance her at DMG of his Haunted House project. Thurston Moore had curated the month of Loren at Tonic, as well as producing the Mazzacane Connors 4 CD box set on his Ecstatic Yod label with Byron Coley.

Both Thurston and Byron have been incredibly instrumental in opening our ears to Mazzacane's work, and this boxed set features recordings made for his Daggatt label on the dawn of the 80's in Connecticut which were released as private pressings. These LPs were the subject of an act of extraordinary self-deprecation and bad judgement in the 80s when, an event mourned by record collectors the world over, resulted in Loren disposing of the entire pressing, sans a handful, into a dumpster out side a music distribution service who had called Loren to collect the returns. One can think of thousands of albums off hand that SHOULD have received such treatment - but these albums, restored here on CD are now receiving that airing and distribution they deserve. In context, these fragmentary acoustic blues improvisations put an interesting twist on Loren's current explorations of electric blues. These are primitive string benders couples with a chilling de-ranged banshee moan of text-less vocalise - recorded super pragmatically in a warehouse (and you can hear that is nigh time, somehow) creating an intimate atmosphere that could only be broken by the sound if pins dropping. Such lonely and personal work has rarely reached the recorded medium with intention - his heroes the delta blues-men, Robert Johnson may have been captured on a wax cylinder in intoxicated trance, Alan Lomax et al have surreptitiously captured singers in private and personal trance muttering transcendental song to themselves or some of the studio verite events that have captured some performers at their most inspired - an unconscious state.

It would be hard to name another American artist who's ear is so free of deliberation, maybe Jandek who's impetus was to tap into and document an aspect of musicality and emotion of the most honest and intimate kind.

Many of Loren's performances at Tonic over the past month have exposed this spirit in his current music as well, though channeled through the amplified guitar which has become increasingly schizophrenic in it's swings from blistering fuzz storms to time suspending whispers - sinuous lines that tremor inside a sea of reverb and electrical hum.- like a distilled futuristic simulation of the acoustic clattering of the early recordings. This tangent is best displayed on his newest solo outing Airs (Road Cone 023-$10) At his best Mazzacane is at home in his own stream of conscious solo- or with Haunted House who resemble Cream has they been formed in Marakesh,2010 when electricity had been replaced by tapped fire. I was lucky to see 2 of their shows during the month, exemplary of the art of playing only the spirit of a song.

The one artist who has the ability divert Loren's singular focus and cut the last sinuous conduit to tradition is Keiji Haino - and as there Duo performance at Tonic showed, mutual admiration- come awe - can create an environment where pure energy and sound collide, their trade-offs of parallel distorto- screaming is as luridly chaotic as it is controlled - the balance of chaos and order a picture of harmony etched into a cold metallic surface. 

I missed the O'Rourke/Mazzacane duo, and if you did too you will be thrilled to hear theIn Bern- Hat NOIR 803 which is here finally (at an exceptionally low price for a European Import)$12. One would have to agree with the liner notes that somewhat ludicrously state that if John Cage had made country music it would have sounded like this. O'Rourke is a stabilizing factor to Loren's tangential playing, and the result of this combination is an austere minimalism that is evocative -though slightly clinical in its execution. Both perform beautifully throughout, and for live performance documentation it is immaculate. Kath Bloom Loren Mazzacane Connors 1984-81 (Megalon 07), Another re-issue that captures Loren in his acoustic period accompanies the Singing and Guitar playing of Bloom on a record that sounds like it could have been made in the 20s. This more cohesive folk music than the shattered exploratory material on the boxed set - and is haunted by rural American spirituals. Kath's sweet voice recalls Sandy Denny on 'Love Makes it all Worth While" and the recording has a brittle quality that compliments some of Loren's most traditional playing on record.

So this month has been a celebration of an extraordinary artist - the fact that Loren is one the most heavily documented artist working today is example of the fact that he is a truly pioneering spirit. His work from the late 70s to the late 90's, a lot of which is finally available to give a perspective overview of an artist with no compromise - the depth of his work is in the value he hold to expressing himself - too himself first and foremost - and it is that character and nuance that makes his music stand out a phenomenon of American music, from releasing records into a world that of such marginal acceptance that hundreds of albums had no-where to go but a dumpster - to a release schedule averaging over 1 CD per month and performing almost constantly. The level of respect for Mazzacane Connors is shown in the audiences and artists that queued to see him during 50th birthday month at tonic - and this also a celebration of the spirit such an artist inspires in those around him.

D.M.Roberts.

Spamming The Globe, 

Downtown Music Gallery 
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